During operation, the motors and drive assemblies of power tools generate heat within the housing which can be transmitted to the user via the gripping surfaces of the tool. Heating is a concern particularly with power tools which utilize portions of the motor housing of the tool as a gripping region for the operator. For example, reciprocating saws typically utilize the front portion of the housing as a gripping region for an operator of the tool to use to stabilize the tool with one hand while the other hand holds the handle at the rear portion of the housing. The front gripping portion is located around and essentially directly over the motor and drive system of the reciprocating saw. As a result, the front gripping surface is exposed to a high level of heat during operation of the tool.
Power tools are often provided with features that are designed to minimize the amount of heat that an operator of the tool may be exposed to during operations. For example, the gripping surfaces of power tools, such as reciprocating saws, are often provided with an insulating covering or boot formed of rubber or urethane which can absorb heat to a certain degree and lessen their impact on the operator of the tool. To further facilitate cooling, some insulating boots are provided with ribs on the inner surface that define air flow channels between the insulating boot and the outer surface of the tool housing. The air flow through the channels cools the outer surface of the housing which in turn helps to keep the insulating boot cooler than it would be otherwise.
However, an insulating boot, with or without air flow channels, is only capable of cooling to the extent that an increase in temperature of the gripping surface is prevented or limited by dissipating heat from and/or minimizing heat transference to the gripping surface. A reduction in temperature of the gripping surface relative to ambient temperature is generally not possible using these methods. What is needed is a method or system for a power tool that enables active cooling of the gripping surfaces in a simple and inexpensive manner.